HD Voice for Windows FAQs

HD Voice is a first generation suite of services enabled by Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology. VoLTE is a new technology platform that delivers voice calls over the 4G LTE network instead of the traditional voice network, providing clearer, more natural sounding audio.

The benefits of HD Voice for Windows OS include:

• HD Voice*
• Simultaneous calling and 4G LTE data usage
  
• 6-way conference calls

Note: You may also be interested in our HD Voice for Android™ FAQs and HD Voice for iOS FAQs.

*Only available if both parties have turned on HD Voice and are in a 4G LTE coverage area.

HD Voice provides Windows OS customers with simultaneous voice (i.e., calling) and 4G LTE data usage. When your Windows OS phone is connected to our 4G LTE network, you can surf the web, continue a download, use an app, or use a feature like Mobile Hotspot while talking on a call, regardless of whether the person you're calling has HD Voice or not.

If you're not connected to the Verizon 4G LTE network, you can talk and simultaneously browse the web or run other data apps only when connected to a Wi-Fi network.

HD Voice service is available at no additional charge.

• HD Voice is included in existing plans
  
• HD Voice calls are billed as standard voice calls according to your plan. No data charges apply.
  
• Mobile-to-Mobile calls that happen to be HD Voice calls are charged just like traditional Mobile-to-Mobile calls and are billed against your monthly minute allowance according to your plan.
  

Unfortunately, we can't offer the video calling feature on Windows phones with HD Voice. However, there are other apps you can use to make video calls with your phone.

To be eligible for HD Voice, you need to meet all of the following requirements:

• Be on a standard monthly plan, like the new Verizon Plan
  
• Have an HD Voice-capable phone

If you're eligible, follow these steps to get HD Voice:

1. Go to the Products & Apps page in My Verizon.
   
2. Click Get it now next to HD Voice.
   
3. When the checkout window opens, choose the compatible devices you'd like HD Voice added to.
   
4. Click Confirm Purchase to complete the checkout process for the selected devices.
   
   Note: You won't be charged anything for adding this feature.
   
5. Click OK on the confirmation screen. If applicable, a free text message with a link to download the app from the Windows Store will be sent to the devices you've selected.
   
   Note: Some devices require downloading an app to use HD Voice. If you don't want to receive a text confirmation, uncheck the box before clicking OK, and no text message will be sent.
   

You've successfully added HD Voice.

Learn more about HD Voice for business.

HD Voice is built on a new technology platform that's different from the platform upon which certain existing features are built. Until these features are upgraded to work on the new platform, they won't work on HD Voice-enabled phones.

When adding the HD Voice feature, you'll be notified of any incompatible features on your device. These features will be removed from your device at the time HD Voice is added.

Note: Apps associated with these features aren't compatible with HD Voice at this time. These apps on your phone won't work as expected as long as you use HD Voice.

Business customers: Please contact your company's Wireless Program Administrator to remove incompatible features and add HD Voice.

You should be able to continue using your SIM card in a new HD Voice-capable device, as long as it's compatible with the new device. However, you still need to add HD Voice to your device before you can use it and turn the feature on.

We're working to make HD Voice available on as many phones as possible. You can view our current list of HD Voice-capable phones online. If a new system (or software) update is available on your phone, follow the onscreen instructions to download and install it as it may allow you to use HD Voice.

To verify HD Voice is ready to use on your Windows OS phone, make sure Advanced Calling is on in the phone's settings. If Advanced Calling is set to On, this indicates it's ready to use.

After you add HD Voice to your device and turn it on you'll:

• Get HD Voice calls.*
• Be able to make 6-way conference calls. Learn how to set up a 6-way conference call.
• Be able to use data and make calls at the same time.

Other features, like Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, Caller ID and voicemail (*86), will be the same as before.

*Only available if both parties have turned on HD Voice and are in a 4G LTE coverage area.

To turn HD Voice on or off for your Windows OS phone:

1. Tap Settings.
2. Tap cellular+SIM.
3. Tap SIM Settings.
4. Tap or slide the Advanced Calling switch as desired.
   

You've successfully turned HD Voice on or off for your Windows OS phone.

If Advanced Calling is set to On, this indicates it's ready to use. If you turn it to Off, that will disable HD Voice.

No, your calling areas won't be restricted as a result of an upgrade to HD Voice. You can make or receive HD Voice calls as long as you're connected to our 4G LTE network. Even when you're out of our 4G LTE coverage area, you can still make or receive voice calls in the US.

While traveling abroad, you can still make or receive voice calls on our roaming partners' CDMA or GSM networks.

No, calls won't switch to HD Voice between 3G and 4G LTE networks. If your call starts on the 3G network and you move to a 4G LTE coverage area, your call will continue as a 3G call. However, if your call starts on the 4G LTE network and you move to a non-4G LTE coverage area, your call will drop.

You can make an HD Voice call the same way you make a regular voice call (e.g., from your Contacts app or Phone app), provided that both you and the person you're calling have:

• An HD Voice-capable phone
• HD Voice added to your account
• HD Voice turned on through the phone's settings
  
• A connection to our 4G LTE network

If a wired headset or a Bluetooth® headset is connected to your phone, HD Voice won't be delivered to the headset with HD quality unless the headset is also compatible with HD Voice.

Yes, even if Data Connection is set to Off on your phone, you can still make or receive HD Voice calls as long as you have the HD Voice turned on your device. However, you won't be able to use data on our 4G LTE network if Data Connection is off.

Hopefully you'll notice a difference in the audio quality. Also, you should see an HD icon near the top of the Call screen if your call is being made using HD Voice.

You can set up a conference call the same way you would set up a 3-way call. The only difference is that if your HD Voice-enabled phone is connected to our 4G LTE network, you can set up a conference call with up to 5 people, even if they don't have HD Voice-enabled phones.

To set up a conference call with up to 6 phones:

1. Call the first phone number as usual.
   
2. While on that call, tap Add call to call the second phone number.
   
   Note: When the second call is established, the first call will be automatically put on hold. You can swap between the two calls.
   
3. Tap Merge to join the two calls and form a 3-way conference call.
   
   Note: You can call up to 3 more phones to form a 6-way conference call.
   

You've successfully set up a 6-way conference call.

If you're not able to make or receive an HD Voice call, either you or the person you're calling:

• Isn't using an HD Voice-capable phone at the time of the call
  
• Hasn't added HD Voice to their account
  
• Had HD Voice turned off in the phone's settings at the time of the call
  
• Wasn't connected to our 4G LTE network at the time of the call